Microsoft is on the offensive right now and they are literally aiming their products at Apple. Last 25 October, the company unveiled a high-end computer that challenges the Apple iMac along with an updated Windows operating system that showcases three-dimensional content and "mixed reality."

The US tech giant announced its first desktop computer, called Surface Studio, a US$ 3,000 high-end "all-in-one" device that aims at creative professionals, a segment dominated by Apple.

"We're creating a new category that transforms your desk into a creative studio," Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella said at the unveiling in New York.
With a large, 28-inch (71-centimeter) hinged touchscreen display touted as "the thinnest desktop monitor ever created," Surface Studio adds to the Microsoft lineup of tablet and laptop devices for the premium segment.

"It is a new class of device that transforms from a desktop PC into a powerful digital canvas, unlocking a more natural and immersive way to create on the thinnest display ever built," said Microsoft vice president Terry Myerson.

The new PC has an ultra-HD 4.5K display, offering more pixels than most new high-definition televisions. It will be available in "limited quantities" for the upcoming holiday season, with more units available in 2017.

The new device drew a mixed response from analysts.

"Yes, this is very cool. But what’s the market for a US$ 3,000 computer you can draw on? How many people have that job?" asked Benedict Evans of the venture firm Andreessen Horowitz in a tweet.
But Avi Greengart at the research firm Current Analysis said the new Microsoft products "are aimed at setting the high mark for the Windows ecosystem."

Microsoft also announced an updated Surface Book - its high-end convertible tablet-computer - which will sell for US$ 2,400, adding improved graphics and computing power and with an estimated 16 hours of battery life.

"It's for the people really pushing performance," Microsoft vice president Panos Panay said.

The Surface devices allow users to create content onscreen with a special pen-stylus, and Microsoft introduced a new disk device called Dial which attaches to the screen and offers additional controls such as viewing the timeline of a creation.